NUFC Transfer Rumours

[Shays Given Tim Flowers]

Good to great window for me. 
 

 

[Coffee_Johnny]

3 minutes ago, WinstonFC said:

On Brighton style signings - no doubting some of their purchases have been unbelievable but alot have also been absolute dross. We are a top 4 club atm and cant afford to gamble on unknowns in the hope they hit. We need to fill the squad with proven top class players.

Well, whatever you think we should be doing, it is pretty clear by now that we’re not just solely buying in worldies. Quite apart from the fact that, with current restrictions, we can’t do that. I am not sure that is what we would want to do, if we could. It’s a shit business model and no way to develop a proper team. 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I said before the window that there are different ways to build squad depth. You can sign players around the quality of the ones you already have (ideally with potential to get better), or you can sign players much better than the ones you have and make the current players into subs. 

 

It seems for many reasons that we've gone for the first approach. It's less risky, it's better financially, it's better for squad harmony, it doesn't depart too much from what gave us such a great season last time. 

 

Once we have a beefy squad I'm sure we'll be looking at big quality jumps if we can find them. 

[Whitley mag]

Not the window I expected at the start was convinced we were getting Szob and Thuram.

 

Apart from Tonali don’t think the window has excited me like the Ferdinand/Ginola summer etc, but that’s because we just seem so clinical in our approach and to be honest I think the sale of St Max confirmed Howe wants a functional hard working team.

 

At the end of the day though its night and day to life under Ashley and I’m just grateful for that.

 

However, I do think the success of these last 2 transfer windows hang largely on Gordon and Barnes. We need creativity and goals from the pair of them, otherwise people will rightly draw comparisons to the likes of Kudos and Szob etc if they prove big successes.

[Abacus]

If you put aside the FFP arguments and that everyone seems to have differing opinions on which bit of the squad needed strengthening (imo most of it did), it's been an excellent transfer window. Personally, think Tonali was the peak signing.

 

However, I can't deny that some sort of explosive attacking player to get excited about would have made it perfect for me.

[hakka]

20 minutes ago, Rich said:

 

Oh. Are you really? 

 

Oh well, can't ignore you as your Admin but won't bother engaging with you anymore as it's clearly pointless. 

[The College Dropout]

1 hour ago, Colos Short and Curlies said:

we’ve just bought a very highly rated young left back who will displace Burn. We haven’t played a single minute since he signed so a little harsh to include left back as a missed position

I could be wrong. But I don’t think he goes straight into the team and nails down the position. He’s 18.  Only been playing fullback for a year.  
 

How many 18 year olds are first team regulars in the PL?

[The College Dropout]

2 hours ago, Thumbheed said:

 

You wanted a minimum of 7 signings this window?

A 10 is a perfect window right? It’s not perfect there’s glaring gaps in the squad. 
 

I’ve given it a 7 because it’s all good solid transfers that will benefit us in the long term. 

[The College Dropout]

20 minutes ago, Whitley mag said:

Not the window I expected at the start was convinced we were getting Szob and Thuram.

 

Apart from Tonali don’t think the window has excited me like the Ferdinand/Ginola summer etc, but that’s because we just seem so clinical in our approach and to be honest I think the sale of St Max confirmed Howe wants a functional hard working team.

 

At the end of the day though its night and day to life under Ashley and I’m just grateful for that.

 

However, I do think the success of these last 2 transfer windows hang largely on Gordon and Barnes. We need creativity and goals from the pair of them, otherwise people will rightly draw comparisons to the likes of Kudos and Szob etc if they prove big successes.

Szob didn’t want to come most likely so that’s not fair. 
 

He looks perfect for us so I’m glad we are targeting great players.  
 

Barnes will score goals. I’m certain. It’s Gordon’s quality I still don’t trust fully. I really want him to play RW as he has the potential to offer what Almiron does off the ball (he doesn’t atm) but is a better technician.  

[The Prophet]

As ponsaelius pointed out, I came into the window with my first team goggles on. Subjectively, left back and right forward were areas we could add quality and for depth a CM was essential. My want list at the start of the window was LB, CM, RW and if money allowed another, young CM or a RCB. 

 

During pre-season the emergence of Miley and. the development of Anderson negated the need for another CM. It's also been obvious for a while ASM is off, meaning he'd need replacing.

 

What the recruitment team have done brilliantly is insure us against injuries to our key players. If Trippier is out Livramento steps in and Tonali takes set pieces. If Bruno is injured, Tonali can operate in the same role without too much of a dip in quality. Our firm is abysmal without the latter in the team.

 

The addition of Barnes means we're far less likely to have to move Isak out to the left and leave ourselves short up top. Similarly bringing in Hall means if anything happens to Botman, we can shift Burn inside and still have a bit of depth at left back. 

 

We have depth all over the park now, the key is to keep adding quality to positions like RCB and RW. I still have a suspicion before long we might look for a keeper who's more comfortable with the ball at his feet too.

[KaKa]

29 minutes ago, Whitley mag said:

Not the window I expected at the start was convinced we were getting Szob and Thuram.

 

Apart from Tonali don’t think the window has excited me like the Ferdinand/Ginola summer etc, but that’s because we just seem so clinical in our approach and to be honest I think the sale of St Max confirmed Howe wants a functional hard working team.

 

At the end of the day though its night and day to life under Ashley and I’m just grateful for that.

 

However, I do think the success of these last 2 transfer windows hang largely on Gordon and Barnes. We need creativity and goals from the pair of them, otherwise people will rightly draw comparisons to the likes of Kudos and Szob etc if they prove big successes.

 

Think Szoboszlai and Thuram were alternative options we'd have looked at if we had not got Tonali.

[Matt1892]

1 hour ago, MrRaspberryJam said:

 

When did this happen?

Livramento being an example of that, possibly Gordon as well when we were desperate for a CM instead which nearly cost us a Champions League place.

[Theregulars]

It went well, we're obviously stronger and deeper than before. Shame about ASM but the logic is completely plausible and defensible. Arguably 1-2 players light but find me a squad not called Manchester City who aren't.

[Gallowgate Toon]

11 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

Szob didn’t want to come most likely so that’s not fair. 
 

He looks perfect for us so I’m glad we are targeting great players.  
 

Barnes will score goals. I’m certain. It’s Gordon’s quality I still don’t trust fully. I really want him to play RW as he has the potential to offer what Almiron does off the ball (he doesn’t atm) but is a better technician.  

Aye, really want to see this soon. Gordon has shown he's got a decent enough left peg that he wouldn't be one dimensional on the right too.

[MrRaspberryJam]

1 minute ago, Matt1892 said:

Livramento being an example of that, possibly Gordon as well when we were desperate for a CM instead which nearly cost us a Champions League place.

 

Whats the detriment to the starting XI of signing Livramento? And when did we nearly lose out on a CL spot?

[Matt1892]

1 hour ago, SUPERTOON said:

So you would have sold ASM to buy a RW, would we then not have been left more short on the left than we currently are on the right hand side ?

I don’t think we would be as our best avenue of attack down the left last season was the rotation with Joelinton and Willock, which I was expecting to go forward with this season. 
 

Gordon coming in meant we were overstocked in that position with Joelinton/Willock, Gordon, ASM and Anderson.

 

 

[sushimonster85]

16 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

Barnes will score goals. I’m certain. It’s Gordon’s quality I still don’t trust fully. I really want him to play RW as he has the potential to offer what Almiron does off the ball (he doesn’t atm) but is a better technician.  

 

Once Barnes was confirmed I was convinced that Gordon would be starting on the right, especially after we pulled out of our slump last season by switching to having a right footed player (Murphy) on the right. Still may be the long term plan, was just sure it's how we'd start the season. 

[Matt1892]

6 minutes ago, MrRaspberryJam said:

 

Whats the detriment to the starting XI of signing Livramento? And when did we nearly lose out on a CL spot?

The money could have been spent on a starting RCB that would improve the first team.

 

Last season we were in danger of missing out when we sold Shelvey without a replacement, Longstaff was injured and we were putting a cobbled up midfield together for some games.

[The Prophet]

Don't think we desperately need to replace Schar this season like, the worry is having to bring in Lascelles if he's out for any length of time.

[MrRaspberryJam]

2 minutes ago, Matt1892 said:

The money could have been spent on a starting RCB that would improve the first team.

 

Last season we were in danger of missing out when we sold Shelvey without a replacement, Longstaff was injured and we were putting a cobbled up midfield together for some games.

 

Schar and Botman were outstanding last season and were part of the joint best defence in the league. Schar chipped in with quite a few assists as well. Whats the desperation to get him binned from the XI?

 

What was so "cobbled" about a midfield three of Bruno, Joelinton and Willock whilst Longstaff was out? 

[Matt1892]

If Gordon hadn’t of joined in January does anyone genuinely think we would have gone out and spent £80 million on 2 LW’s this summer with ASM leaving?

 

 

[Theregulars]

6 minutes ago, Matt1892 said:

The money could have been spent on a starting RCB that would improve the first team.

 

Last season we were in danger of missing out when we sold Shelvey without a replacement, Longstaff was injured and we were putting a cobbled up midfield together for some games.

Was it not just 1 game (Chelsea away) that we had a patched-up team? The game against Leicester our starting midfield (IIRC) was Bruno, Longstaff (carrying a knock) and Willock? 

 

I understand the desire for improvement but is there not a part of you which thinks Schar, Burn, Miggy etc have earned the right to start this year and try themselves at highest level? Each played out of their skin last year and improved as things went on.

[The Prophet]

 

[Matt1892]

Just now, MrRaspberryJam said:

 

Schar and Botman were outstanding last season and were part of the joint best defence in the league. Schar chipped in with quite a few assists as well. Whats the desperation to get him binned from the XI?

 

What was so "cobbled" about a midfield three of Bruno, Joelinton and Willock whilst Longstaff was out? 

You improve by buying better players, so knowing we need a better player than Lascelles at the back you go out and not only buy a better player than him but also than Schar, meaning he drops to the bench and you have improved your first team.

 

There was no balance to a Bruno, Joelinton and Willock midfield as the latter two want to play on the left of midfield, which was why everyone was talking about how much we missed Longstaff. We also had the game on his return where Anderson had to start in midfield and Gordon came on as sub to play there.

[The College Dropout]

From January we started all of our first team CM options.  We were very light in midfield. Had the injuries to Longstaff and Willock happened 6 weeks earlier it would’ve cost us the CL spot. 
 

The fact we have signed a CM (arguably 2) without selling any suggests there was a sizeable gap in the squad.  It was a risk. And it worked out. But we were light and it could’ve cost us.